Word Origin & History

bat "a stick, a club," O.E. *batt "cudgel," perhaps from Celtic (cf. Ir. and Gael. bat, bata "staff, cudgel"), infl. by O.Fr. batte, from L.L. battre "beat;" all from PIE base *bhat- "to strike." As a kind of paddle used to play cricket, it is attested from 1706.